In a significant legal development, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA from Khadoor Sahib, Manjinder Singh Lalpura, and 10 other individuals, including six policemen, have been found guilty of molestation and assault in a 13-year-old case. The verdict was delivered by Additional Sessions Judge Prem Kumar of the Tarn Taran district court. The sentencing is scheduled to be pronounced on a later date.
The case dates back to an incident in 2013, when Lalpura was working as a taxi driver. The survivor’s lawyer, Amit Dhawan, stated that the woman expressed her immense satisfaction with the verdict, noting that her “wait of 13 years and six months paid off” and that she was “happy that justice has been served.” Following the verdict, police arrested eight of the accused, including the MLA, and sent them to jail. The arrested individuals are Lalpura alias Sabha, Ravinder Singh, Kavaldeep Singh, and former police officers Davinder Kumar, Saraj Singh, Ashwani Kumar, Tarsem Singh, and Harjinder Singh. Three other convicts, including a former policeman, are yet to be arrested.
This conviction is particularly notable as Manjinder Singh Lalpura won the 2022 assembly elections from the Khadoor Sahib constituency on an AAP ticket, securing a significant victory with 55,756 votes and defeating the two-time Congress lawmaker Ramanjit Singh Sikki. The legal outcome of this long-standing case now has serious political implications for the ruling party in Punjab. The conviction of a sitting MLA on such serious charges raises questions about accountability and public office. The news has been widely reported and is a key topic of discussion in the state’s political and legal circles. The identity of the victim has been withheld in accordance with the Supreme Court’s directives regarding sexual assault cases, ensuring her privacy is protected throughout the legal process. The verdict brings a measure of closure for the survivor and marks a significant moment in the state’s legal and political landscape.
